The ghost town of Bodie is a moving place to visit, and today part of Bodie State Historic Park, with over 170 wooden buildings that are typical of the gold rush era. Everything started in 1859, when a certain William S. Bodey found a gold nugget in this desolate region of the Sierra Nevada. Twenty years later, a major seam led to the spectacular development of the town. The houses visitors see today give the impression that their inhabitants have only just walked out of the door.